Seconds
by Tassie Taker
Summary: He'd still never thank Gray for changing the plot course. Ship: Natsu Lucy (Nalu) [Minor Gray Juvia (Gruvia)]


_A/N; This is what happens when I play Mass Effect while rping Natsu on tumblr. If you don't know the Mass Effect universe some things will be confusing._

* * *

Funny really, how everything can change in a matter of seconds, it was something he ought to have grown used to by now, the Galaxy was a strange place to be sure, and in his line of 'work', even though service was the better name for it, he was used to plans changing in a matter of moments. Like the fact that the SSV Perugia was even _near_ Omega in the first place. But someone or another had fiddled with flight cocoadance for a joke, apparently, but he wasn't laughing.

A fair few people often make comments, wondering how in the hell that someone who got sick during Mass Effect jumps could have become First Lieutenant on a Starship and have rumors abound he was under consideration for the N7 program, but that was First Lieutenant Natsu Dragneel's case, though, he'd never heard anything _personally_ about being watched for N7. He'd give the course a try however if he did get the letter of acceptance.

But that was nothing to do with what was happening that minute as he groaned in the sickbay, knowing that the ship was just going to have to do another Mass Effect jump any time now when they worked out which idiot fiddled with the coords. (Natsu had an idea it was one Gunnery Officer Fullbuster just to piss him off,) and decided to stick it out here until he was able to be a productive member of the crew again, but that only lead the Medical Officer to be irritated, praying that someone would come and drag the Lieutenant out to be productive. But her wish was not quite granted the way she wanted it to be.

_"Mission Crew, report to the amory. Mayday call from Grande Mar. Batarian Pirate attack. That includes you Dragneel."_

In some ways, he was thankful that he seemed to have this switch that could flick on, if it was 'go time' as one of his superiors had called it, then he seemed to be able to brave the travel sickness, and with one last groan he rolled off the med bay bed, rubbed his face on the sleeve of his fatigues, and jogged off to the elevator in the center of the Crew Deck, eyes falling on two other members of the Mission Crew as he arrived. One that ended up getting a slap on the back of the head.

"Oi! What was that for flame brain!" Gunnery Officer Fullbuster snapped, sapphire eyes boring into the pink haired Lieutenant.

"I know it was you that fiddled with the coords, ass." Natsu snapped in reply, only to be glared at by the young woman hanging on the Officers arm. "You know he did Private Loxar."

"…I still think Officer Fullbuster is innocent until proven guilty." The woman with blue hair replied, pouting deeply for a few moments, it was hardly knew knowledge that the Private had an unhealthy obsession with the Gunnery Officer after he had saved her life on a Mission, and that she was loyal to him to a fault, even when the raven haired male gave a snicker.

Everyone knew it was him.

But all 'fun and games' stopped once the small team of five was changed into battle armor, heavy artillery strapped to hips and backs, or for some others, like Natsu himself, only light pistols, as was the normal gear for a 'biotic'. Stories children were told of 'magic' could be so closely compared to the way the Lieutenant could pick someone up with an eerie blue light without even touching them and throwing them to the other side of the room, among other things. Three standing to attention as Staff Commander Erza Scarlett gave out the brief. They were to secure the Luxury Passenger Cruise Liner, evac wounded and either capture or kill any Batarians, but they all knew that the aliens would not be captured, as was the tense 'communications' between Humans and their closest alien neighbors.

One could maybe laugh at the idea of sending four people to take down a gang of pirates that were perhaps in over thirty in number, but that person did not know the potential of the Earth Systems Alliance. It was hardly a sweat at all for the well trained group to get in and take down whom ever stood in their way.

Erza Scarlett was a member of N7 herself, and easily lead the group, trained in the best of the best, given the best of the best… and expected to give the best in return, and she never disappointed, one of the best 'Soldier' Classified Mission agents in action.

Gray Fullbuster was a renowned shot, and impressive member of the 'Infiltrator' Class, the first one to enter the ship, and would likely be the last to leave, hacking enemy drones and weapons, leaving them defenseless and giving them a chance to surrender that they never took.

Juvia Loxar was more than she looked, biotic as Natsu was, but with more intelligence than the rather dense Lieutenant, classed as a 'Sentinel', easily able to work around the other members of her party to insure they did their job as needed.

While Natsu himself was classed 'Adept', super powerful biotic that was able to rip a person apart on a molecular level, among other things, along with Erza, he charged in fast, and was often in front of an enemy soldier before they knew what had hit them. But power like that didn't come without its downfalls, likely what made him so travel sick were the implants running through his body.

But the liberation of the ship went smoothly, of course, some of the Batarians were smart enough to surrender, while others went down like bricks. From what Natsu had been able to discover, the ship had recently been forced to dock on the infamous space station Omega, a hive for crime, and the pirates had stowed away in an attempt to kidnap some of the rich and powerful.

And that was something they almost succeeded in, and an event that changed Natsu's life. After Gray's skillful hacking of the Pirates comm system, they were able to work out the location of the groups leader, and that he had a young woman, an heiress of some kind, as a hostage, planning to take her back to their homeworld to use for random, and then likely sell into slavery, something that was rife in the Galaxy no matter how much it repulsed the other races.

He was told to secure his area, make sure their were no injuries, but hearing the cries of a young woman over the comm… well, Natsu's fatal flaw was that he had a hero impulse. Handing one of the men whom he had seen fighting of the Pirates his submachine gun and told him to 'protect his group', the young Lieutenant rushed through the ship, knowing he was the closest to the girls expansive rooms, crashing in the door, breaking it down with biotic explosions, only to find the Leader on the floor, a gun to his temple and a small amount of blue light hanging around him.

And standing over, was a stunning woman of blonde, dressed in a rather tight dress, corseted likely, her hair fallen from the bun she had set it in, honey brown eyes narrowed and aggressive, her hand extended out, with the same blue glow, while she held the pistol to his head with practiced ease. "A-Ah, Lady Heartfilia?" Natsu questioned carefully, lowing his own pistol just slightly so it was more pointed at the Batarian on the floor, his voice making the girl look up with an aggressive snarl before she relaxed seeing the bright blue of the Alliance uniform.

"I — uh — stole his gun." The Lady quickly replied, biotics deactivating as she stepped back.

"Sure you did, Harpy Pistols are standard for Batarians…" The Adept hummed. "Cerberus sells them to everyone, after all." He laughed a little giving a bright grin. "But we can keep to that story if you want, Lady Heartfilia."

"Just… call me Lucy, Officer." She muttered, lifting up the skirt of her dress to hide the pistol once more, and then ripping the larger one that sat on the Batarians hip re aiming it at his head.

"You can just call me Natsu. Come on. We've got the rest of the ship safe."

First Lieutenant Natsu Dragneel never thought he'd meet the lovely Lady Lucy Heartfilia. Nor that he would spend the rest of the time the ship was secured chatting to the woman that was so much more than a pretty Heiress…

Nor did he expect to exchange extranet addresses… and stay up to god knows what hours in the night chatting to her over his Omni Tool…

But he'd still never thank Gray for changing the plot course.


End file.
